2012 in review

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?Explored the Alhambra with Eskimos. Watched Lipizzans train at the Spanish Riding School, marvelled at the golden Klimts and drank Melange in Vienna. Saw ghosts from another time in the dead mirrors of the Spiegelhaal. Said goodbye to Tacheles. *sniffle* Rode the Ebbelwei Express through Frankfurt and walked over the Eiserner Steg while humming Philipp Poisel. Lusted after art nouveau houses in Darmstadt. Bawled my eyes out over Billy Elliot. Started a business and built a website. Slept in a yurt and swam in 5 lakes in one day. Watched acrobats from Montréal Complètement Cirque contort themselves in dangerous ways on a rooftop. Finalised a novel. Saw an Aboriginal production of King Lear. Poked around fancy embassies and a Cold War bunker during Doors Open Ottawa. Visited the Museum of Civilisation. Read 81 books.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions from 2012, and will you make more for next year?I didn’t keep last year’s, so I’d better avoid making any this year. :p

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?Nope.

4. Did anyone close to you die?The mosquito buzzing in my ear just did. He was very close. And very annoying.

5. What countries did you visit?Let’s see, I started the year in Spain, then made whistle stops in Germany, Austria, and London. Went to the United States for a few days once I got home. Also visited Quebec, that counts, yes?

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?I hate to sound so materialistic, but for the sake of my sanity I need a reliable source of money and, more importantly, work that makes me feel useful.

7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?January 29, when I came back from London, mainly because it’s stamped in my passport with a “you are no longer welcome” note from UKBA!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?Wow, I really don’t know. This year has been a very difficult one in a lot of ways, because my biggest achievements – starting a business and finalising a novel – came to nothing in the end. At this point, I have to say surviving the year is probably my biggest achievement.

9. What was your biggest failure?Knowing what I needed to do in order to market myself and my business, but being too lethargic and unmotivated to make it happen.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?I had a bit of skin cancer removed recently. Apart from that, just some weird aches and pains that worried me enough to see my doctor, but she said I was just getting old. Thanks for that.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?Oh goodness, I don’t know. I’ve been listening to lots of Icelandic music of late, Of Monsters and Men and Ásgeir Trausti. Here’s the song I couldn’t get out of my head for ages.

And I was listening to this on loop while reading the Tawny Man series.

And let’s not forget my obsession with Elisabeth (and my very bad singing to this song in particular).

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:i. happier or sadder? About the same, at this pointii. thinner or fatter? Several sizes fatter iii. richer or poorer? Definitely poorer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?Taken care of myself. Pampering myself and feeling deserving of it.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?Worrying, eating bad food and moping.

20. How did you spend Christmas?I was at Howie’s, so I was awoken way too early by hungry, happy dogs. Made Howie open his presents, then went back to sleep. Woke up hours later and we took a drive through snow-covered countryside. Came home, called dad, then made fajitas for dinner, and watched Joyeux Noel.

22. Did you fall in love in 2012?With many, many fictional characters, yes.

23. How many one-night stands?None. I don’t read that fast.

24. What was your favorite TV program?Probably Teen Wolf, but The L.A. Complex was a close contender. And despite its Mary-Sue lead, I really loved Dance Academy. Doctor Who also had some amazing episodes. The Bletchley Circle sparked an obsession, those are always good. I also am really enjoying Elementary and what I’ve seen of Fringe. And then there was that brief fling with Battlestar Galactica…

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?Proponents of vaginal ultrasounds, legitimate rape, or pro-life in Ireland. Beyond that, no, there are just a number of annoyances.

26. What was the best book you read?There were four outstanding ones and I can’t possibly choose one. I loved Robin Hobb’s Farseer series, I can’t get enough of her worlds and I’m dying for a reread to catch all the details I missed as I was gulping down the plot. Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived In the Castle was a book that I’ve wanted to read for ages, and it definitely lived up to the hype; I loved Merrykat so much, she was so unreliable and screwed up. Mike Carey’s Lucifer is the standard by which all heavenly/supernatural stories will now be judged. And A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel – who took this place last year with Wolf Hall – blew me away by making the French Revolution accessible, sympathetic and utterly fascinating.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?I fell in love with Of Monsters and Men.

Also really loved Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. This is the song they did for the Marriage Equality campaign in Washington.

28. What did you want and get? An orange kitten. (And the black one that came along with it.) Also a mobile phone, which I’m not sure I wanted, but I do feel like I’m part of the 21st century now.

29. What did you want and not get? To publish Perfect Combination.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?Based on the number of times I saw it at the theatre, my answer would be The Hunger Games,with The Hobbit coming a close second.

But most of the really good stuff, I saw in the comfort of my own home. I already raved about Another Earth, but I think I neglected to mention Caramel, which had a similar realistic beauty to it in the lives of these women.

I also recently enjoyed Beasts of the Southern Wild, and meant to post a review of it, but have been horribly lax. So enjoy the trailer instead.

And, of course, there was Elisabeth!

31. What did you do on your birthday? Had a bunch of people over, we ordered tons of Indian food and watched movies.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?If social media did not exist.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?Sweats, anything with an elastic waist. o_O

36. What political issue stirred you the most?Women’s rights worldwide, Apartheid in Israel and gun control in the U.S.

37. Who did you miss?All the people I met last year in London.

38. Who was the best new person you met?I guess it’s kind of cheating to say alsha, since technically I met her last year, but even though I lived in her office for three months, she wasn’t around. But when she stayed with me this year in Ottawa, I felt like I got to properly meet her. And even though it was only a few days, she’s the kind of person who is really good at connecting with people on a very deep level and asking genuine questions, and by the time she left, I felt like I not only knew her, but knew a little more about myself.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.That some people will try to pull you into dissension and discontent, and it’s awfully easy to let them, but in the long run it’s easier still to let them go their own way and out of your life.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.No. If I try to do that, I’ll never get this posted. Read about the wombat’s cube-shaped poop instead.